Thank you, Mr. Baker

Hi my name is Desiree Slade and I went to Conrad Fitzgerald Academy in English Harbor West. Going to school was a challenge for me because of bullies. So I never had any self-esteem. I turned inwards and didn’t think anyone believed in me. But I was wrong. There was one person, one teacher, who stood out from the rest. Derrek Baker believed in me. He was my 10th grade English teacher and it’s because of him I started believing in myself again.

He saw one of the poems I had written and with his help it was edited and put in the local newspaper which helped my self-esteem grow. He kept helping me with my poems and that really meant a lot to me. Because of Mr. Baker I can now say I’ve written over 5000 poems and now believe there’s no such word as can’t. He helped me see me for who I am and to see the talent that was within me. It might not seem like much to others but it meant and still means the world to me.